Denial
by IceDynamiteDragonflyStars
Summary: Clint and Pietro are together (or at least have a serious crush). The whole team knows it. However, both deny everything. But will a life-threatening situation prove how much they actually feel for each other? T for general bloodiness. Oneshot.


**Well, today seems like a nice day to blatantly disregard canon, and break my own writing style. (For those who don't know me, I have a tendency to stick to canon ships, or at least ones that have been implied or could actually work. Writing married and dead people together is kinda new.)**

 **Hello, and welcome to my third Avengers fic. It is, as the summary said, Clint/Pietro, who should really have a ship name. Pint? Doesn't work. Clietro? Eh, bad too. Silvereye? Yep, that works. I like it.**

 **But anyway. This is an AU story in which Pietro lived. I don't know what happened to Laura, but I will leave it to the imagination. I think the whole 'constantly saving the world' thing gradually put more strain on their relationship, and they eventually divorced, but remain friendly, and Clint still gets to see the kids quite a lot. (Nice job leaving stuff to the imagination there, Icy!) Also means Clint is bi.**

* * *

Steve walked down the corridor, whistling some 1940s tune to himself. It was quite catchy, actually. He had just spent an hour and a half training, and it was now 11 pm. He had decided to watch some TV before going to bed. However, the sight that met him in the TV room came as something of a surprise.

It was dark. The curtains were shut, and it was dusk outside anyway. The only light came from the television, which illuminated the two figures sitting on the couch. Steve was surprised to see it was Clint Barton and Pietro Maximoff. More surprising was the position they were in. Clint was sitting on the sofa, hand on the armrest. He was looking at the sitcom on the TV, but not really watching it. Which was normal enough, really. Pietro's position was a little more unusual. He was asleep, knees curled up to his chest, head leaning into the gap between Clint's shoulder and neck. One of his arms was wrapped around Clint, draped across his chest. Clint's arm was around the younger man's shoulder, pulling him closer.

Steve walked into the room. Clint started violently. "Oh, hey Steve. I didn't hear you come in." Pietro snored slightly and nuzzled further into his shoulder.

Steve raised his eyebrows. Clint looked away slightly. "We were watching TV together. Kid fell asleep on me, and I don't really want to move him."

Steve nodded, silently wondering how he could have gotten into that (suspiciously cuddle-y) position while asleep without falling off the sofa completely. However, he brushed it off and settled down to watch the show.

* * *

Natasha quietly opened Clint's door. She was standing outside her friend's room, awake, at some stupid early hour of the morning because Stark, being his annoying self, had used an airhorn to wake her up, then hid in one of the upstairs rooms. She had (quietly) checked every one but Clint's. She was expecting Clint to be asleep, and, being her, she would be quiet enough that he would stay that way- everyone else had.

Clint, however, was not asleep. Far from it. He was standing about three inches away from Pietro, and both were looking at her with an expression similar to that of a child caught with one hand in the cookie jar. Both seemed a little out of breath. Clint slowly removed his hands from the back of Pietro's neck, which was where they had been resting, and Pietro removed his from the archer's lower back. Natasha observed the two for a minute or so. Clint was first to speak.

"'Morning, Nat." She nodded.

"Good morning." She raised an eyebrow. "Might I ask why you're standing in your room at half four in the morning with Pietro Maximoff?"

Pietro took a slight step back. "I was..." There was a short pause as he searched for an alibi. He shot Clint a side glance, but received no help. "Looking for my phone. I can't find it."

"At half four? And why would Clint have it?"

Pietro shrugged. "Wanda had it last, and I thought she might have been in here. Anyway, it's not. I'm going now." And he disappeared in a blur of silver-blue, dodging past Natasha as he went through the doorway. Natasha looked at him suspiciously. She could tell he had been lying. What they _had_ been doing- she could take a good guess. Clint mumbled something indistinct about going back to sleep, and that Natasha could take whatever she came in for. She conducted a quick search, and, unsurprisingly, didn't find Tony. he must have taken the elevator to one of the lower floors. Still, she smiled as she walked out. She had had her suspicions about those two ever since the divorce. Now they had been confirmed.

* * *

Tony sighed, tapping his foot against the ground impatiently. He hated waiting in line. He was standing in the movie theatre. The other Avengers had gone to get snacks and drinks. It was his job to get tickets. The team had decided to go out together as friends, with no dramatic deaths and world-saving to deal with. Although the the last time that had happened, when they fought Ultron, was over a year and a half ago, the team still had precious little time to just hang out as friends. Most of them had other jobs and missions to do as well. Even today not all of them had made it. Clint was visiting his kids on the farm, and Pietro was on a mission of the kind that was a bit more than normal police could handle, but not enough to require all the Avengers. He wouldn't be back until later that day, and seeing as half the team was off to Ukraine for another mission later, he had opted out and said he'd make next time.

Just then, Tony heard a familiar Eastern European accent from near the freezer. "Clint, should I get chocolate or banana ice cream?" _Think of the devil._

"Uh, chocolate." _And Legolas has showed up too._ Tony grinned. He bought his tickets, plus ones for Pietro and Clint. He walked over to the speedster, who was rummaging through his pocket, searching for money.

"Hey, Barry Allen, I thought you said you weren't coming today. Katniss wasn't either, actually." Judging by the look on his face, Pietro hadn't expected to see him either. Tony supposed this made sense; the team had decided to go out before they knew where they were going, so all Pietro knew from the videochat they'd done last night was that they would be out.

Pietro shrugged. "The mission wasn't as long as I expected. And one of Clint's kids had something on, I think. So we decided to go see a movie together."

"Together? Alone?" Tony smirked. He knew those two had a thing for each other. Anybody with half a brain could tell. Pietro looked annoyed.

"We both wanted to see the same movie."

"Are you sure? You have to admit it's a _little_ bit... Date-y. And you two _do_ have a thing for each other. Steve said he saw you two cuddling." Pietro sighed and paid for the ice cream, not bothering to answer. Tony called Clint. "Hey, Birdbrain?"

Clint didn't look surprised to see him; Tony had spotted him talking to Thor a minute ago, so he obviously was aware of his teammates' presence. "Yeah?"

"What movie are you going to see?"

" _Jurassic World_. You?"

"Same." Tony caught a look of disappointment flash across the archer's face before he covered it up. He grinned.

"Let's go, then."

And, in a rare moment of kindness, he didn't mention the fact that Pietro and Clint spent most of the movie holding hands. (That, and Steve elbowed him in the ribs every time he looked like he was about to.)

* * *

Thor was enjoying the party. There was music, dancing and more food and drink than anyone could possibly consume. Yes, even him. He was currently taking a break from dancing with Jane to have a conversation on firearms with Clint. These Midgardian weapons were proving fascinating. However, he couldn't help but notice Clint's eyes darting over to the bar on their right at least every minute. Then a look of mild annoyance crossed his face, then he would continue telling the Asgardian about the AK-17.

Eventually, curiosity got the better of him and he looked over too. Pietro was sitting on one of the stools, beside a young woman with short blonde hair. Both were talking and laughing. Thor wasn't sure who she was. A friend of one of Tony's coworkers, he thought.

Eventually, Clint walked over, slid into the empty seat beside Pietro, and ordered a drink. Pietro swiveled around, and seemed a little surprised to see Clint. He smiled. "Hi."

Clint raised an eyebrow. "Hey. What're you doing?"

"Socializing with other human beings. This is Eliza. She works for S.H.I.E.L.D." Thor wasn't the best at reading emotions, but even he could tell the archer was annoyed.

Eliza smiled. "This your boyfriend?"

Pietro smiled nervously. "Ah... No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"He seems pretty protective of you. I saw him when that girl hit on you earlier." Thor didn't remember that. It must have been before he started talking to Clint.

"We. Are. Not. Dating."

Her smile grew a little wider. "Riiiight... Anyway, I'd hate to interrupt your... Non-boyfriending. See ya."

And she disappeared before Clint could begin to say anything. Thor strode over. "I have not heard this. Hawk Man, are you really courting Silver Man of Speed?"

Clint didn't answer. "Hey, is that Maria Hill? I'd better go say hi. Catch you two later."

Pietro nodded. "And I need to go and... Get some food. I'm hungry." And both of them dashed off, leaving Thor standing there, extremely confused.

* * *

It was raining. Wind whistled through the near-deserted city. By this point, it was near-destroyed too. Clint pulled another arrow from his quiver, and wiped the mixture of sweat and icy drizzle out of his eyes. They were down to the last few aliens. Clint wasn't sure why they's chosen this tiny, dismal town of concrete office blocks to attack. Apparently they'd come to earth after their home planet was blown up by some guy called Thanos. Clint would have felt sorry for them-losing your home was horrible-if they hadn't decided to settle on Earth instead. They'd also decided that the way to go about doing this was to wipe out the dominant species living there. Clint jogged down the footpath, pulling the bowstring back. There was one right around the corner. As he approached it, he slowed down, tiptoeing silently. The thing was crouching on the road, blood and feathers surrounding it. It must have caught a pigeon.

It looked a little like a scorpion, covered in red armour plates. It could also fling razor-sharp hooked barbs with deadly accuracy. Clint knew this because he'd spent most of the day before trying to get one of the things out of his ankle without bleeding to death. Walking was still painful, but he refused to stay in hospital. There were only five of the things left. He could lay in bed and heal later. He let go of the arrow.

He hit it in the side. The force of the arrow knocked it over. Green-brown blood oozed out the wound. Its dozens of legs thrashed around as it died. Clint ducked behind a wall as it shot barbs in every direction. He waited until the rapid clicking noise it had been making stopped. He was about to walk away when he heard a different noise. A low, pained groan. Human. He immediately turned and ran back. He scanned the street for any sign of life, but saw nothing. Was it a trap? Then he noticed Pietro lying just inside a nearby alleyway. Clint's stomach dropped. His heart sped up. He realized that the aliens were nothing compared to the sight of his boyfriend lying wounded on the ground. He thought he had been scared, or at least worried. But no. _This_ was fear.

Clint sprinted over. Pietro's blood contrasted sharply against the sandy-grey pavement. _Crap._ He did a quick inspection. He cursed. This was bad. One barb had just clipped Pietro's neck, right under his ear. The other had gone straight through his arm, leaving a ragged, bloody hole. Clint immediately sent a message to his teammates. "Pietro's injured. We're on Key Street." In the movies, this kind of wound was nonlethal. In real life, not so much. Pietro groaned again as he slipped into unconsciousness. Clint checked his pulse and breath. There, but barely, and slowing down.

Wanda arrived first. She had been helping Rhodey to take out the third alien, but had left him to finish it off. The barbs weren't so much of an issue to him with his armour, anyway. The helicarrier arrived after that. Clint gently picked up the speedster and carried him on.

He spent the next few hours in a daze. The medics told him that Pietro's body had shut down and gone into a coma in order to heal. They said it could last anything from twenty-four hours to forever. He had lost a lot of blood and was exhausted from running, they said. His metabolism would help him to heal faster, but it also meant the rest of his body used up more energy than average, and all of that energy was being used to heal him. His body was paradoxically making him better and killing him at the same time. So they hooked him up on a life support and hoped for the best. Clint sat down beside his boyfriend's bed. He was going to wait this out. Wanda took a seat across from him, drawing her knees up to her chest, trying to hold back tears of stress and worry. Clint shot her a comforting look, and would have said something, but he didn't want to talk. He knew she could read his thoughts anyway, so he tried to make them as optimistic as possible. The other Avengers filed in a few hours later. Some stayed, some just comforted Wanda and gave him sympathetic looks before going off to tend to their own injuries.

Clint was sitting in his chair trying not to doze off when Steve sat down heavily beside him. "You okay?"

"Yeah."

"You seem really upset. I mean, we're all upset, but you're... Really upset."

Clint sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I just..." _I love him and I never actually said it._ He'd denied all feelings for months now. Pietro had wanted to come clean, but Clint... He didn't even know _why_ he'd insisted on all the secrecy. The age gap, maybe. Or the fact that the media would have had a field day.

But now, screw it. Clint remembered reading something about coma patients being able to hear you. So he took a deep breath. "Guys?"

The Avengers looked at him, some answering with a "Yeah?" or "What?"

"I got something to tell you. Pietro and me, we were-are dating, and we kept it from you, and... Sorry."

Tony spoke up first, per usual. "Well, duh."

"It was that obvious?"

"Yeah. And we aren't judging you." He looked around at the others. "You know what we could use right now?"

Steve raised his eyebrows. "Are you going to say 'shawarma'?"

"Yes."

Clint shook his head. "You guys go get shawarma. I'm staying here."

Clint spent the next two days sleeping and watching over Pietro. Despite not doing much other than that, every minute was exhausting. The other Avengers visited regularly, and Wanda was there constantly too. Clint was just drifting off in his chair when someone coughed. He presumed it was one of the other Avengers, they'd all come to visit after training. But it woke him up anyway. He glanced over at Pietro, who coughed again and opened his eyes. Again, Clint's stomach dropped and his heart sped up, but this time it was a mixture of joy, relief and excitement that was the cause. And before he knew what was happening, he was on top of Pietro, kissing him. He couldn't kiss him on the mouth as he'd have liked due to the oxygen mask, and he wouldn't dare take it off, but he kissed his cheeks his forehead, his hair. Pietro laughed weakly, arms stretching up to wrap around him. Clint looked around at his teammates. Yes, this would get out quickly. Yes, their faces would be all over TV and newspapers for the next month. But Clint didn't care. Pietro was alive. He was healing. Clint was alive. They were together, and he didn't care who knew.

* * *

 **And, done! It took me two months to write this, so appreciate it. (Okay, I'm not that slow a writer. I came up with this sometime around when the Eurovision was on (May, for all you Americans.), and started writing it, then I read a really good Clint/Laura fic and wasn't sure who to ship, then I decided I could ship both at the same time, but wasn't going to finish this because it wasn't my best idea, _then_ decided sometime last week that I should in fact finish it after all. So yeah. This was a long time in the making, so reviews are much appreciated.**


End file.
